Electric musical instrument.



M. L. SEVERY & G. B. SINCLAIR.

ELECTRIC MUSECAL INSTRUMENT.

APPucAnou FILED MB; 8. !916.

1,245,518. Patented Nov. 6, 1917.

3 SHEETSSHEET 1.

M. L. SEV'ERY & G. B. SINCLAIR.

ELECTRIC MUSICAL INSTRUMENT.

APPLICATION. FILED FEB-8.1916.

Patented Nov. 6,1917.

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Patented Nov. 6, 1917.

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fizuazz onr Melvin! Seye UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

MELVIN L. SEVERY, OF LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA, AND GEORGE B. SINCLAIR, OF GEORGETOWN, MAINE, ASSIGNORS T0 CHORALCELO MANUFACTURING COMPANY, A.

CORPORATION OF MAINE.

ELECTRIC MUSICAL INSTRUMENT.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Nov. 6, 1917.

Original application filed August 7, 1905, Serial No. 273,199. Renewed February 5, 1916, Serial No. 76,458.

Y Divided and this application filed February 8, 1916. Serial No. 77,064.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that we, MELVIN L. SEVERY and GEORGE E. SINCLAIR, citizens of the United States, residing, respectively, at Los Angeles, in the county of Los Angeles and State of California, and at Georgetown, in the county of Sagadahoc and State of Maine, have invented certain new and useful 1mprovements in Electric Musical Instruments, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to that class of musical instruments wherein strung wires are caused to vibrate percussively, and also by means of electromagnets having suitable timed electric pulsations delivered thereto. This application is a division of our application Serial No. 273,199, filed August 7, 1905, renewed February 5, 1916, under Serial No. 76,458, which since the filing of this division has issued as Patent No. 1,198,070, dated September 12, 1916.

The object of the invention is to provide an improved form of coupler, whereby various sonorous bodies may be coupled in preferably octave relation.

With this and other objects in view, the invention consists in certain novel features of construction and arrangement of parts, as will be hereinafter more fully described and pointed out in the claims.

The invention will be readily understood from an inspection of the accompanying drawings, in which:

Figure 1 is a vertical sectional view from front to rear of an upright piano having an illustrative embodiment of our invention applied thereto. 7

Fig. 2 is a similar sectional view showing certain details of the electric connections of the key action and the coupler.

Fig. 3 is a-face view of a part of the coupler;

Fig. 4 is a front elevation of a part of the action and electric devices of the piano; and

Fig. 5 is-a perspective view, from the rear, showing the devices by means of which the coupler, when thrown into action, removes all of a certain set of dampers from contact with their strings.

In said drawings and in the following de scription, we set forth our invention as specially adapted for coupling octaves,

but it' is evidently equally applicable for coupling notes at any desired musical interval, and we desire to have the same so construed.

As illustrated in the drawings, the reference numeral 1 designates the white keys, and 1 the black keys of the piano, 10 indicates the strings, and 5, 5, the hammers operated by the manipulation of said keys, through the medium of substantially the usual form of action. Said hammers are shown in Fig. 1 in their dumb position, be pg supported therein by the hammer rest rai Behind the strings andfacing the ham-- mers are the electromagnets 20, by means of which the strings are magnetically actuated when properly timed electric impulses or pulsations are communicated to such magnets. To permit the strings to be at the same time mechanically actuated, the hammer rest rail 4, which is pivotally connected to' the action bracket, is lowered to said bracket, and the hammers, of course, lowered also. At the same time, the thin bar or plate 6, which is pivotally supported behind the jacks 3, is turned to its normal vertical position, thereby permitting the jacks to swing backward into a position to engage'and operate the hammers when the jacks are thrown upward by the depression of the keys. Said bar 6 is thus moved by means of the arm 7 rigid therewith, and a link8 oin-. ing said arm to the hammer rest rail.

From this it will be evident that all that requires to be done in order to render the hammers inoperative, is to raise the hammer rest rail to the position shown in Fig. 1, thereby causing the bar 6 to press the jacks out of possible engagement with the hammers.

The means for shifting the hammer rest rail as ust described, consists of a connecting rod 128 (see Fig. 1) pivoted at one end to the bell-crank lever 129 forming one pivotal support for said rail, and at its other end to the bell crank lever 127 the lat- Normally the hammer rest rail is retained in its upper or dumb position by the tension spring 130, but by pi "essing the knee swell or lever 132 toward the right, the rail is lowered and the hammers put in proper position to be actuated by the keys.

The conditions of the parts as shown in Fig. 1 represent the instrument as adjusted for electric actuation of the strings alone. To actuate the strings both electrically and mechanically simultaneously, the hammer rest rail 4 is brought to its lowermost position, by pressure applied to the knee-swell or lever 132, and a consequent overcoming of the spring 130, see Figs. 1 and 4. This knee-swell or lever draws upon the rod 126 and the other connecting parts between said swell and said hammer rest rail, without affecting the bell-crank lever 121, and consequently without opening the circuit at 125, the movement of nut or stop 122 being away from lever 121 when the knee-swell is actuated. The hammer rest rail being thus lowered, the plate 6 is made to release the jacks 3, and the latter and also the hammers are in condition to be actuated upon the depression of the keys 1.

If it be desired to render the hammers the sole means for actuating the strings, the rod 120 (Fig. 4) is drawn down by means of suitable pedal connections, and the bellcrank lever 121 is causedto engage the nuts or stops 122 on said rod 126, and thereby to lower the hammer rail in the same manner as does the knee-swell or lever 132. A link 124 joins said bell-crank lever 121 to a switch tongue 125, which forms part of the circuit 62 between the magnets 20 and the source of current. The lowering of said rod 120 consequently withdraws said switch tongue out of touch with the contact 62, and so breaks the circuit and renders the electric actuation impossible while said rod is held down. When the latter is released, a suitable spring 123 insures the proper movement of the bell-crank lever 121 to permit said tongue to again complete the circuit.

For the electric actuation of the strings, each lever 81 (Fig. 2) is extended forward a short distance from the extension 2, and is provided with an upwardlyreaching brush 80 afliXed thereto by a screw 82. From this brush a thin copper ribbon 83 passes back and upward to the conductor bar 63, which is supported by the lower rail 84; and from said bar a lead 62 is connected to the current source 60. The opposite pole of said,

source of current is connected by a wire 61 to a pulsating device 40, and the latter is connected by a cable to a timbre controller 70. In Fig. 1 the pulsation-producing mechanism is represented as drivenby an electric motor through, an interposed speed-control mechanism of the type set forth and claimed in Letters Patent No. 1,098,983, granted to us June 2nd, 1914. This is merely suggestive or illustrative of one of several forms of speed-governing mechanism suitable to the purpose. This timbre controller forms no part of the present invention, but is fully described and claimed in our application Serial No. 273,202, which since the filing of said app ication has become Patent No. 1,110,012. From the brushes 72 of the timbre controller, wires 74 pass to the magnets 20, and thence wires 96 connect with resistances 90. 90 and contacts 88.

In this manner, when a key is depressed, its brush 80 is first brought into touch with the contact 88" thereby directing the current through the pin 89, wire 93, resistance 90, wire 92, resistance 90, wire 95, and the other conductors above described. This introduces the maximum resistance into the circuit, and so imparts to the magnet 20 a minimum strength of current. Further depression of the key brings the brush 80 into touch with the contact 88, and thereby eliminates the resistance 90 from the circuit, consequently increasing the strength of current transmitted. When said brush reaches the third contact 88, both resistances arecut out and the maximum strength of pulsations is conveyed to the magnet.

Normally the brushes 80 are in contact with the insulating strip 87, and so no current can pass until the keys are depressed. When a key is manipulated quickly, the three strengths of current are not discerned, but if depressed and released slowly, a crescendo and diminuendo effect is produced. If they be depressed but partially, a piano efiect is obtained; if farther, a louder note is sounded,-thereby giving ample expression in the individual operation of the strings.

The resistances above described consist each of a slender rod of compressed graphite located in holes in the wooden bar 91. These are arranged in a single row, as shown in Fig. 3, a pair to each key, but to show their arrangement more easily, a pair is shown with one out of position in Fig.

2, one appearing unsupported by said bar.

any one of the horizontal rows of contacts by means of a pointer 79, lever 78, 76, and

arm 75 rigid with one of the arms 73. h

tension spring 77 counterbalances frame 73, 71, and the brushes 72.

The lowest row of contacts is wired to the cable 65, each contact in said row being connected with one of the brushes 41 of the make-and-break devices 40, comprising disks suitably rotated, said disks having alternate sections of conducting and high resistance or insulating material. Each brush 72 is wired to one of the electromagnets 20 as already described; consequently when the brushes are put into touch with the lowest row, the normal pulsations from each disk 40 are transmitted directly tothe strings for which they are designed, but, as the contacts in this first row are wired to differently positioned contacts in the several rows above, the elevation of said brushes 72 to one or another of the upper rows causes the magnets of selected strings to receive in addition to the pulsations corresponding in frequency to the free vibration of such strings, other pulsations of predetermined higher frequency which materially influence or alter the timbre or quality of the tones given off by such selected strings.

The coupler shown in Fig. 1 is an octave coupler. It comprises a swinging board 100 carrying a series of contact brushes 101 so disposed as to be brought into touch with the contacts 88 of the uppermost row or series whenever the board 100 is swung toward the left, as viewed in Fig. 2. Each brush 101 is wired to another in octave relation thereto, as shown at 101 in Fig. 4, and similar connection may be made to another or others at octave intervals. Under this arrangement, every time a key is depressed while the brushes 101 are in touch with the contacts 88, the sonorous body immediately controlled by such key will be caused to vibrate, and in addition another or others at an octave interval or octave intervals therefrom. The blocks of the intermediate horizontal row 86 and of the lowermost row may be cross connected for other than octave intervals, as for instance, fifths and thirds respectively, as more fully explained in our aforesaid Patent No. 1,110,012. Under such arrangement depression of any key will place its contact brush 80 in touch with the contact 88 controlling the magnet of the wire directly associated with such contact block, thereby causing the vibration of the sonorous body directly controlled by said key, and of another sonorous body bearing the relation thereto, say, of a third. If the key be further depressed to bring the contact brush 80 in touch with a contact block 88 a like effect will be produced but with an interval, of a fifth between the sonorous body immediately associated with or controlled by the key depressed and that connected or coupled there'- with. Finally, octave relation between the sonorous body immediately associated with the key and that coupled therewith will be effected by depression of the key to a point causing brush 80 to come into touch with a block 88 of the uppermost series. The means for operating the octave coupler consists of the arm 101 rigid with the rockshaft 103 by which said board is supported; and the knee-swell or lever 108 connected to said arm through the medium of the rod 105, crank-arm 106 and shaft 107, Fig. 2.

We find that a very desirable effect is produced when the octave coupler is used during the pianos electrical operation, by undamping the entire upper octave. To do this automatically when the octave coupler is operated, we have devised the following arrangement shown in Fig. 5: The shaft 103 is provided with a rigid arm 146 projecting rearward beneath the lever 145'. A post 114 transmits the motion of said lever to the arm 1 13 rigid with the plate 14:2, pivoted along its upper edge to the rail to which the dampers 140 and the hammers 5 are attached, but close behind the tails 141 of said dampers. By these means the swing of the octave coupler to bring its brushes 101 against the contacts 88, is made to throw the dampers out of contact with their strings. in actual practice we find it well thus automatically to undamp one full octave at the upper end of the key-board.

Fig. 5 also shows more clearly a portion of the thin bar 6, by means of which the jacks 3 are thrown out of possible engagement with the hammers.

Having thus described our invention, what we claim is 1. In a musical instrument, the combination of a series of tuned sonorous bodies; electromagnets in attracting relation to said bodies; a source of electric current; an elec tric conductor connected with said source and with the electromagnets; exposed contact blocks, one included in each magnet circuit; contact brushes movable into and out of touch with the contact blocks, one for each block, each brush wired to another bearing a predetermined musical relation to the first; and means under the control of the operator for putting said brushes into touch with said contacts.

2. The combination in a musical instrument, of strings; electromagnets for their vibrations; means for delivering electric pulsations to each electromagnet; keys controlling the delivery of said pulsations; a row of contacts each of which is in the circuit to one of the magnets; a row of brushes supported normally out of touch with said contacts, each brush being wired to another 1n predetermined musical relation with itself; and means under the ,control of the operator for moving said brushes into touch with said contacts. 3. The combination in a musical instrument, of strings; electromagnets for their vibration; means for delivering electric pulsations to each magnet; keys controlling the delivery of said pulsations; a row of contacts each of which is in the circuit to one of said electromagnets; a board pivotally supported along its upper edge; a row of depending brushes carried by said board with their extremities near said contacts, each brush being wired to another in predetermined musical relation With itself; and means for moving said board and putting said brushes into touch with said contacts.

4. A musical instrument comprising a series of tuned sonorous bodies each provided with a damper; hammers and electromagnetic pulsation-devices for vibrating said sonorous bodies; a coupler connecting the pulsation devices of certain of said bodies each with another in predetermined musical relation with itself; and means disposed to remove the dampers from contact with those bodies whose pulsation devices are coupled, when said coupler is operated.

5. A musical instrument comprising a series of tuned sonorous bodies each provided with a damper; hammers and electromagnetic pulsation devices for vibrating said sonorous bodies; a swinging coupler connecting pulsation devices of certain of said bodies each with another in predetermined musical relation with itself; and means whereby the movement of said coupler toward its operative position automatically removes certain of said dampers from contact with their respective sonorous bodies.

6. An electrical musical instrument comprising a series of tuned sonorous bodies; electromagnets for vibrating said bodies; a source of electric current; a pulsation-producing device in circuit with the source of current and with the electromagnets, and delivering to each magnet when its circuit is closed, pulsations of the frequency of the free vibrations of the body which such magnet controls; a speed-controlling device for maintaining constant the speed of the pulsation-producing device; keys for opening and closing the circuits by which the pulsations are delivered to the respective magnets; and

a coupler causing pulsations to be simultaneously delivered to a plurality of the sonorous bodies upon the depression of a single key, those delivered to each body respectively being-of the frequency of the free vibrations of such body.

7. A musical instrument comprising tuned sonorous bodies; electromagnetic means for effecting their vibration; dampers for said- 8. A musical instrument, comprising tuned' sonorous bodies; electromagnetic means for their actuation; dampers for said bodies; a coupler having a pivotally mounted bar and connecting the electromagnetic means which actuates one body with the like means which actuates another body in predetermined musical relation to itself; and means connected to said bar for removing the dampers from a portion only of said sonorous bodies when said. coupler is moved into operative position. q

9. A musical instrument comprising tuned sonorous bodies; electromagnets in attracting relation thereto; a source of electric current; means for delivering correctly timed electric impulses to said electromagnets; and a coupler serving to connect with each of the electromagnets controlling certain sonorous bodies the electromagnet of another sonorous body bearing predetermined musical relation thereto, said coupler comprising a plurality of rows of insulated contacts, one contact in each row for the corresponding magnet of each sonorous body; electrical connections between contact blocks corresponding to certain of the sonorous bodies and other contact blocks of the same row corresponding to sonorous bodies in predetermined musical relation with the firstmentioned sonorous bodies; resistances interposed between corresponding blocks of the respective rows of contacts; a pivotally mounted bar having brushes arranged to engage the contacts of one row; means operative at will for moving said bar and throwing its brushes into or out of touch with the contact blocks; and keys provided with brushes movable across the contact blocks of successive rows, and thereby varying the resistance in the circuits closed by the keys.

In testimony whereof we have signed our names to this specification.

MELVIN L. SEVERY. GEORGE B.- SINCLAIR. 

